Creating a Winning Culture Part 3: Narrow Your Focus for GREAT Results

August 11, 2016

Often times we find ourselves frustrated at work, feeling dragged down, and on Sunday night dreading every Monday morning that we have to slog back to the office. When asked what we don’t like about our jobs we often say it’s our boss or it’s this or that, but it is usually the culture of our office that we don’t like. This series has focused on some tips to create a winning culture in your position in the office.

Step 3: Narrow Your Focus to Produce GREAT Results

Some of the best advice I was ever given is that you can’t focus on your next job until you do a great job where you are at. In our fast paced, results now world, we often are focused three of four steps ahead instead of focusing on doing a great job now. Chances are by doing a great job in your current position better things will be down the road for you.

I find it easier to create a winning culture by defining a concept that I believe I can be the best at. In the famous book “Good to Great,” the author Jim Collins utilizes a fable to emphasize his chief point. Every day the fox is conniving a plan to attack the hedgehog. One day the fox uses his speed, another day the fox uses his cunning, but every day the hedgehog rolls into a ball and lets his sharp spikes protect him...and every day the fox retreats back into the forest. Essentially, the fox is sampling in many ideas and many different arenas. Always focusing on many different elements to unleash his attack on the hedgehog. The hedgehog, on the other hand, is focusing on one simple thing…his ability to protect himself. Instead of trying to be the best at numerous activities and numerous jobs, take your time to focus on one thing that you can be the best at.

As a coach I try to create a culture where we are the most cohesive team in the nation and focus on improving every day. I believe that if we take care of those two very simple things, our path toward greatness will lay itself out in front of us. Those are two things that we can be the best at, cohesion and effort.

Find the one thing at your job you can be the best at, the one thing that can make you irreplaceable. If you can narrow your focus, you can produce GREAT results

~Sean Hogan has coached hockey at the international and collegiate levels for over ten years. He has spoken at numerous events about culture building, goal setting and healthy lifestyles. He holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Recreation and Sports Science with an emphasis on Coaching Education from OHIO University.